Flood Warning Update: S. Platte rising

Posted:
09/14/2013 10:41:19 AM MDT

The latest reading, at 9:30 a.m., from the South Platte River gauge at Balzac in Morgan County is measuring the water stage at 5.24 feet, about halfway to minor flood stage of 10 feet.The flood warning from the National Weather Service is still in place for late tonight through Monday night. The river is expected to rise above flood stage by early Sunday morning and continue to rise to near 10.6 feet by Sunday evening. At that stage, water flows over the railroad tracks south of Merino.According to Bob Owens, Emergency Management coordinator, Sterling should be fine if the water stays at 10 feet, but could experience issues at 11 feet. At 8 feet, the river is out of its banks and into fields and meadows. At 11 feet water flows over the highway at Atwood. At 12 feet, widespread flooding occurs along the river.A Facebook post from the Logan County Office of Emergency Management this morning says the river has been peaking above predicted levels to the west of Sterling. A limited number of sandbags are available at the Logan County Road and Bridge shops by the fairgrounds, and at the City Service Center. They will have to be filled and hauled by the citizens.The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) continues to work on not only facilitating highway closures as a result of the flooding, but also has engineer inspections crews on duty today and for the next several days to review the structural integrity and damage of roads and bridges.

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A public shelter will be opened at the Sterling Middle School if needed for evacuees. Evacuation notices will be put out over the emergency phone notification system and public broadcast radio. Please monitor these systems for information throughout the warning. If evacuation notices do go out, please help and assist any family, friends or neighbors who may need assistance evacuating. Make arrangements for pets. Do not leave pets behind.

CDOT continues to encourage motorists to exercise extra caution when traveling across the Front Range, as some highways may appear structurally sound but could have been damaged by water, rocks, or debris. In addition to driving carefully, motorists should not pull over to view flood damage, as it creates a safety hazard on the highways.

Motorists are also reminded that the route to Estes Park that was opened last night is only for emergency personnel, residents of Estes Park, delivery vehicles, and other essential visitors! CDOT will continue to enforce checkpoints at varying locations along the highway to ensure that only those with critical missions can enter and exit the town until more permanent repairs can be made. Rocky Mountain National Park remains closed.

Although some highways have reopened, there are still numerous highway closures along the Front Range as a result of flooding, and rock and mudslides. Many highways and bridges will remain closed as a precaution until crews are able to evaluate whether or not they are safe for use.

The following is a list of highway updates as of 8 a.m.:

Recent Highway Openings

·SH 8 between Morrison and U.S. 285

New Updates/Closures

·U.S. 34 from Granby to Estes Park: Essential travelers only

·U.S. 34 from MP 114 to Wiggins (I-76) east of Greeley

·U.S. 85 from SH 52 to County Road 49 in Greeley

Ongoing Closures in Northern Colorado

·I-25 southbound from Wyoming to Harmony Road

·I-25 northbound between Harmony Road and SH 14

·I-25 northbound /southbound ramps to State Highway 119

·U.S. 34 between Glade Road and Estes Park

·U.S. 36 between Boulder and Estes Park

·US 85 from 42nd in Evans (MP 264.5) to County Road 44 in LaSalle (MP 258.5)

·U.S. 287 at Big Thompson River in Loveland from SH 402 to 5th Street

·U.S. 287 in Fort Collins from MP 347 to MP 348

·US 287 from MP 307 (Isabella) to MP 310 (SH 52)

·SH 7 between Lyons and Estes Park

·SH 14 between Ted's Place and Walden

·SH 60 at CR 46

·SH 66 between 53rd Street (Longmont) and Lyons

·SH 66 between CR 13 and CR 19

·SH 119 between Boulder and Nederland (Boulder Canyon)

·SH 119 between County Line Road and I-25

·SH 170 from SH 93 to El Dorado Canyon State Park

·SH 257 between SH 60/Milliken to US 34

·SH 392 from I-25 (Larimer County Road 5) east to 17th Street in Windsor

Ongoing Closures in the Denver Metro Area

·I-70 eastbound off-ramp to Quebec Street

·SH 72 between 72nd and 80th avenues

·SH 72 between SH 93 and SH 119 (Coal Creek Canyon)

·SH 83 (Parker Road) between Florida and Jewell avenues

Please note that the above listed closures are only for highways, and that cities, counties, and towns may have closed additional roads in your area!

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